All Your Heart Are Belong To Me
by Boondock Jake
Summary: Fighting was nothing new for Aeris and Leo. But when you live with a person long enough and feel a change in how you see them, it often makes things a whole lot more complicated.
1. Chapter 1

_All VG Cats Characters belong to Scott Ramsoomair._

All Your Heart Are Belong To Me

Aeris was pissed.

That was more of an understatement. To say she was pissed would be like comparing it to when she lost in Street Fighter or had to put up with annoying fanboys at Blizz-Con. A hot, headache inducing yet disturbingly routine emotion. In fact, being pissed could simply be described as Aeris, plain being, Aeris. So for her to be pissed was nothing new. Hell, sometimes she welcomed it but this was different.

She was goddamn _furious._

The pink cat's sneakers pounded roughly against the pavement with each step becoming more and more aggressive. The party she had left so enraged was quite the commute on foot, a car or public transport being the more logical choice. She didn't care though. Aeris had been walking for more than twenty minutes and she felt no fatigue. It was as if her rage was fueling her, a never tiring engine of malice and ire. She needed to get this out of her system by the time she got home though it seemed quite clear that it was going to last well beyond that.

Aeris could feel the vein in the left side of her head throbbing and she was sure that it had formed some sort of tumor from the repeated bouts of stress caused by her roommate. Her hands clenched into fists and her teeth grinded together almost painfully at the thought of him.

The grey cat in question was following her though he kept his distance. He jumbled the keys in his hoodie pocket for the mere reason that he needed to fidget with something. He always found himself squirmy and fidgety when he knew he was in trouble with Aeris. Like a child waiting for his parents to find out he broke their favorite lamp and the impeding punishment that came with it.

He hated it.

Leo sighed and ran his fingers through the tuff of a mess he called hair (he had recently grown it to look more like Link from Ocarina of Time), his bangs waving slightly in the October breeze. He knew he had screwed up. Bigger than usual which was, in itself, an unbelievable accomplishment.

Leo had seen Aeris mad at him before but never like this. He was sure that if she had the ability to grow hundreds of feet tall she would be destroying all of Toronto like a new character from Rampage. His green eyes watched from afar as her pink tail swatted back and forth making her agitation very clear, even from behind. The ashen coloured feline had tried to get her to take the bus home. This wasn't the best time or area to be out alone in the dark but she wanted nothing to do with him. Not wanting to leave her out by herself, despite the fact that Aeris could knock out just about anybody that gave her trouble, Leo trailed after her.

He was sure she knew he was following her. If anything it probably made her more upset. Leo frowned at that.

He thought that they were past this. During their younger days, fighting was a fairly standard day for them. Leo would do or say something stupid and Aeris would beat him within an inch of his life and then they would play video games, eat, sleep then repeat. It wasn't the best relationship in the world but she was his best friend, his only friend and he put up with it simply because...well, no one else would put up with _him_.

Throughout Elementary School, High School and University, this was just how things were. He was never good at making new friends. Most didn't share his obsession with video games like she did. But as Leo got older, he got a little braver and soon found himself standing up to Aeris' abuse. He smirked at the memory of her face when he demanded for her to treat him with respect, treat him as a friend and not some sort of punching bag. Aeris was clearly surprised but she smiled at him and crossed her arms across her chest saying,

_"Wow Leo. You got some balls after all. Alright, let's make a deal. I'll start treating you the way you want to be treated if you stop being so damn retarded."_

And for a while, he actually was able to live up to his part of the deal.

It was hard of course. Leo had never been much of a thinker or good decision maker. Aeris was sure that he would revert back to his normal self and she could get in some punching practice on his kidneys. But to her astonishment and to a lesser extent glee, Leo was turning himself into a pretty decent cat.

He had turned his grades around in his last year of University, showered regularly, stopped chewing with his mouth open, started to eat properly, no longer wasted ridiculous amounts of his AND hers money, could have a decent conversations and had ceased with the momma jokes.

Clearly miracles do exist.

Leo found himself smiling at that despite the current situation. Aeris was constantly beside herself at his transformations. And to make things better, he found that he was no longer receiving abuse, physical or verbal. He and Aeris' relationship had finally molded into a normal one. One where two friends could simply enjoy each other's company without the fear of stupidity or rage. They still had their occasional bickering when playing games but it was more like laid back teasing than fighting. It often left both of them in fits of laughter at the end. In fact, when Leo thought about it, Aeris seemed to put in large effort to spend time with him outside of the gaming world _on purpose_.

It was during those times that Leo saw a side of Aeris he had no idea existed. He found the pink cat to be funny, sweet, witty and talented outside of video games. He used to give her a hard time about her writing but once he actually sat down and read them, Leo found it to be quite good, though he still had no love for yaoi and slash. The smokey pelted feline also discovered her growing improvement in drawing which was already of high quality. Her love of anime and stand-up comedians and the way she laughed. Oh how she laughed.

Its sound began to hit Leo in the gut like her fist and it coaxed something inside him to stir.

Leo growled and slapped his palm over his face, running it down the length of his muzzle. This was by far not the best time to have this rise up in his head and he gave his brain a shake to loosen said thoughts. But like so many times before, it was a futile effort.

Leo noticed many things in the new Aeris but not as much as he noticed just how beautiful she was.

He hated to admit it but he would often catch himself staring at her while she sipped her morning coffee or sat on the sofa, her fingers dancing over her Xbox controller. It was an embarrassing pleasure that he had a hard time refusing. He couldn't help himself. She was a gamers wet dream come to life. Even now as she stormed ahead, yards in front of him, he could make out every curve and detail as it had been etched into his mind.

Her legs were long and slender and were shown off well in her dark navy jeans. Leo found himself staring at her behind which was shown off just as well. Her belt that jangled a few Mario Kart icons, sat well on her hips that swayed just the tiniest of ways even during her march of fury. Her fall jacket that stood out against her fur, a deep violet, hid her womanly curves that he knew she was secretly self-conscious about. Growing up playing video games that depicts most women as large chested fitness models seemed to of had an impact on her though Leo had no idea why. Sure, she was no Lara Croft or Mai Shiranui but she was still, at least in Leo's opinion, a total babe.

But Leo's newfound affections for her went beyond physical. He had a connection with Aeris that had grown far beyond the limits of video games. Leo found himself wanting to know more about her likes, her dislikes, fears, wants, needs and dreams. He often fantasied about just sitting on the couch with her, arms wrapped around her slender frame and watching Electric Playground or just enjoying the quiet. Leo had wanted many things in his life, most of them revolving around games but he now had found a new desire, one that ached deep within his chest. And that desire was in the form of the pink cat in front of him.

Although right now he was certain that her fondest desire right now was to rip his head off with her bare hands like Kratos to Helios in God of War III.

Leo noticed that they had entered the familiar surroundings of their neighborhood, houses lined up side by side, lights on illuminating the warmth inside. Leo grimaced at that. Mostly because he knew that warmth would not be there when he arrives at his own house. He watched as Aeris stomped up to their driveway and straight up to the front door. She didn't so much as open it as practically kick it down.

Leo slowly walked up to the front door, stopping just a few feet away. He stared into the darken house deciding whether or not he should actually go in. Sighing again and scratching the back of his head, Leo figured that there was no point delaying the inevitable. He walked through the front door and softly closed it behind him. When he turned around, he started to speak for the first time since the incident.

"Look Aeris, I'm sor-"

He didn't get to finish however as a cheek blistering slap ricocheted off the left side of his face. He stumbled back a bit and pressed his hand against his stinging cheek, a look of surprise on his face. Aeris didn't even give him time to say another word as she pushed him back against the door roughly.

"What the hell is wrong with you Leo!" She screamed, her whole body shaking with anger. "Of all the times to revert back to a fucking idiot, why tonight!"

"Aeris…"

"Do you even realize what you did Leo! We could have been fired!"

"But he laughed it off. Everything was fine." Leo finally managed to say, hand still on his cheek. Aeris scoffed a disbelieving laugh. "Don't you know _anything_ Leo! You think he would have made a scene in front of all those guests! He had to be civil with you! I guarantee he wanted to wring your damn neck! You know how long I've wanted that promotion for! You knew I was going to ask for it tonight and you pull your typical bullshit and fuck everything up as usual!"

Leo felt his back being pressed up against the door even more. Each shout and curse was like a force, pushing him backwards. If he wasn't so terrified he would have made a Skyrim joke. Aeris proceeded with her rant, getting louder and more vicious.

"When the hell are you going to grow up! We aren't eighteen anymore Leo! This isn't like screwing up an order at McDonalds! This is our careers here! How has that not gotten through your stupid fucking skull!" She screamed.

By this time, Leo could feel himself getting angry. She wasn't even giving him a chance to apologize much less let him even speak. She was treating him like a child and he was sick of it back then and he was sick of it now. He pushed himself off the door and tried to speak but again Aeris cut him off by reaching over and whipping the door open. She reached into his hoodie pocket and took his keys then pushed him hard on his chest, sending him stumbling out the front door.

"You stay the hell away from me until I can stand to look at your face again!"

She then slammed it so hard that the very house looked like it shook. Leo tried to open the door and found it was locked. He banged on it angrily but no response was received. The cat growled and he gave the door a kick in frustration. He walked out to the driveway and leaned against the small Volkswagen they shared but not before pounding his fist against the hood. Leo stuffed his hands in his pockets and began to fume.

"_This is complete horseshit."_ He thought bitterly. _"I get it. I screwed up but how can she just go back to treating me like garbage after all this time? I actually thought she had finally begun to respect me and treat me like a real friend. Maybe I really am retarded for ever thinking that this would ever last."_

Leo looked up to the clouded sky catching the silver glint of the moon behind its dark curtains. He rubbed at his forehead and let out a small moan of vexation. Perhaps he just needed to calm down. Mentally he began run through the upcoming games he was looking forward to and projects at work he needed to get done sooner rather than later. Despite his efforts, he eventually came back to his anger.

"_No. No goddamnit. I'm not going to let this go like I've done for years. She has no right to do this. It's time she gets a dose of her own medicine."_ He thought and waited in the cold night air, his ire building with every minute.

* * *

Aeris burst into their living room and ripped off her jacket, throwing it against the wall. She began to pace back and forth, swearing and ranting with every step.

"I can't fucking believe him! How could he have done this on tonight of all night!"

Aeris swatted a few video game boxes off the couch arm and picked up her Xbox controller. She reached back and flung it against their book case which ironically held more games than books. The controller crashed into them and sent an avalanche of games from all systems falling to the ground in a messy heap. Aeris stared at the pile and sighed heavily, some of her anger dissipating with the action. She walked over and fell to her knees, cleaning up the mess. As she put away game after game, she paused when her hand came across a very familiar one.

Aeris gazed at the cover of Dungeon Guy 2 and ran her fingers along its edge. Her mind found itself breaking away from the haze of anger and remembering a fond Christmas memory a long time ago. She hated to admit it but this game was very special to her and it had nothing to do with gameplay, graphics or replay value.

Aeris snapped out of her stare and shoved the game back into the shelf. She wouldn't let that memory make her forget about tonight. Leo had gone and done the stupidest thing he's ever done a few hours ago and that was a stretch even for him. Aeris just didn't understand how things were going so well then just fall apart. She let her head fall into her open hand and let out a ragged breath, the night's ordeal replaying in her head like a movie.

Both Aeris and Leo knew from the moment that they could pick up a controller that they wanted video games to be a part of their lives for a long time. It was only natural that they would pursue a career in them. Both felines had taken courses at University for programming and graphic design, Leo the first and Aeris the latter. They had been very fortunate to land positions with Sony's Canadian branch and not only could they get the inside scoop on all upcoming games but actually help create the kinds of games they loved to play. It was a dream come true for any gamer.

They were also fortunate enough to have an employer like Edward Shaw. A kind, amusing and passionate man who took a chance on the two right out of school. It was hard to believe that he would be so willing to just open up the doors for them and even more unbelievable was that he actually _liked_ Leo. Leo might be an idiot but he knows video games and his input have been valued greatly by Shaw since he was given his first project. Strange or not, Aeris could not have been happier. She and her best friend were doing what they wanted to do for a living and having fun. Life was goddamn perfect.

Until tonight.

Shaw had invited most of the staff to his house for a celebration wrap up party for the company's latest game. The man was an avid collector of swords and medieval replicas and items all out for display throughout the house. Leo looked like a kid in a candy store when looking upon blade after blade. It worried her slightly but she had grown to trust him. Obviously that was a mistake.

She remembers everything going well and talking with someone from marketing when suddenly a loud crash was heard. Fear gripped her when a certain individual entered her mind that could have caused it and she and many others ran into the next room. They found Leo standing in the middle of the room with a katana in his hand and what looked to be a very old vase broken into a hundred pieces on the floor. Aeris practically ran up to him ready to throttle his neck demanding to know what happened. Leo, in his infinite wisdom, decided that he wanted to re-enact his favorite scenes from Metal Gear as Gray Fox and ended up knocking the vase over in his passionate rendition. When Shaw finally saw what and heard happened, Aeris thought she was going to pass out. He was going to fire Leo and her. And if she was lucky enough not lose her job, there was no way she would be getting that promotion now.

To her surprise, he merely laughed and waved off the whole thing. He said something along the lines of "never liking that vase anyway". Aeris apologized up and down for Leo's accident thinking that he would fire them for sure. But Shaw insisted that it was fine so long as nobody was hurt and that he was glad Leo was having fun with a bunch of junk that just sits around collecting dust. The party went on as if nothing had happened but Aeris was convinced that Shaw was secretly furious. There's no telling how much that vase was worth.

Just the very thought of the events made her blood boil as she got to her feet, tail twitching again. She made her way to the front window where she looked out to the front yard. Aeris could see Leo leaning against the car, arms crossed over his chest. The fuchsia feline sneered at the very sight of him yet she found herself staring. Something she had caught herself doing more than once no matter how anger she was with him.

Leo Leonardo the Third was an idiot. A veritable Sultan of Stupidity. A child living in a man's body. And Aeris has had a crush on him for as longer than she wanted to admit.

Ever since they had made the deal years ago, Aeris began to see something new in Leo. She wasn't sure at first what it was but she liked it. She could go out in public with him and not be embarrassed, rely on him for the simplest tasks and actually trust him. The times where she would yell at him would start becoming few and far between. It was like some sort of wonderful dream. Oddly enough, she began to actually spend time with him _outside_ of video games. She didn't know why but there was this…want, to just be around him and have fun. It was around this time when the staring would begin.

Whether he was in pure concentration during a game or sitting upside down on the couch watching TV, Aeris found her eyes focused purely on him. His fine ashen pelt, emerald green eyes that reminded her of Fox McCloud and lazy smile he always wore were imprinted in her brain. His current look to appear more like Link had a rather large effect as Aeris had always found the Hero of Time sexy as hell. The embarrassment of all this was too much to handle and just as weird to boot.

Things got even more embarrassing and weird when he left for Japan for three months.

In order to get a more advanced training regime for his programming, Shaw had Leo sent overseas to learn from the best. Aeris was jealous of course but still happy for him as he had always wanted to visit the birth place of Shigeru Miyamoto.

It was the longest three months of her life.

Aeris did have other friends other than Leo but even when she was with them, she found herself thinking about the grey cat. She would wander around their house, feeling bored and…empty. Games seemed to lose their luster after a while and even watching True Blood wasn't as enjoyable without Leo there to complain about it. She missed him more than she felt she should. Way more. Leo would often call her on video chat and she would plant herself in front of her computer for hours just talking with him. She remembers laughing quite hard when he told her that he brought his Wii with him but no games as he figured he would just pick some up there. Unfortunately he was unaware that Japanese discs don't read on North American consoles. Only one game could be played and that was Wii Fit, a game that he despised. Hearing him grumble about it and what better things he could be playing made her miss him all the more.

She had to restrain herself from jumping into his arms when she picked him up at the airport.

Tuning back into reality, her blue eyes wandered over his frame and her mind began to drift again. Leo was never an athletic person and he had the worst eating habits she had ever seen yet he was always fairly thin. She attributed that to the fact that he had the most advanced metabolism. Although in the last year he had begun to fill out noticeably in his arms, shoulders and chest, his trademark blue hoodie fitting tighter than usual. Three months of playing nothing but Wii Fit turned out to be a good workout much to her surprise.

She felt blood rush to her cheeks and she stomped her foot in irritation. This wasn't fair! He had just caused her to blow her top and here she was ogling him.

Aeris moved away from the window and flopped down on the couch. She took a few deep breaths and let her head fall back against the back rest. As if there was some sort of beacon that shone out, Aeris found herself staring at the game shelf, easily picking out Dungeon Guy 2 among the vast collection. That nostalgic feeling returned and she suddenly felt a pang of guilt.

Leo had done a great deal to live up to his end of the bargain and to be honest, she felt that maybe she owed him a little more patience. If Shaw was really as mad as she thought, he would have fired them on the spot wouldn't he? He's always been a great boss and understanding guy. Maybe it really wasn't a big deal. Maybe she…overreacted.

Aeris sighed again and fixed her ponytail. The poor guy must be freezing out there and she was sure that being screamed at felt just as bad. She stood up and walked over to the front door. She'll throw out a quick apology and they'll play some Left 4 Dead and everything will be good. Aeris opened the door to find Leo suddenly standing at the doorway.

"Oh! Leo. Listen, I'm-"

"No, you listen for once!" Leo shouted, an unfamiliar and uncomfortable anger evident in his voice. Aeris took a few surprised steps backwards as Leo slammed the door behind him.

"What the hell gives you the right to go off on me like that! What give you the right to just treat me like shit!" He yelled

"Leo, I-"

"Why is it anytime I mess up, I take a full dose of verbal raping but when you screw up it's not a big deal!"

"Hey! This was a pretty big screw up! We had a deal, remember!" Aeris shouted back, her temper starting to flare up again. "This isn't about that stupid fucking deal!" Leo hollered.

"I thought that my best friend was starting to treat me _like_ a best friend! But it turns out that it all had to do with some stupid pact we made years ago! All those times of hanging out, talking for hours from thousands of miles away and just enjoying being around you was because I was being 'good'! Then the minute I make a mistake you go right back to being an unreasonable bitch!"

"I-" Aeris tried but Leo was far from done as he cut her off again.

"And where do you get off telling me to grow up! Isn't it you who still writes your boy on boy fanfictions and screams bloody murder when dealing with kids online! For someone who considers herself so damn smart, I figured you would realize how hypocritical you are!"

Aeris was silent at this point. Her whole body was frozen as she listened to Leo tear her apart. She was no longer angry. She was…scared. Scared of what Leo was saying was indeed true.

"No more Aeris! I put up with that shit longer than I should have when we were younger but not anymore! If you ever treat me like this again then you can just deal with the bills on your own because I will be gone! You got that!" He practically screeched the last sentence in her face.

Leo turned on his heel and walked away, his head shaking in anger and frustration. Aeris watched him march up the stairs and heard the violent slam of his door. She stood there in silence, the shock still taking hold of her system. Aeris made an effort to step but her legs felt like rubber and she ended up stumbling, her hand reaching out and grabbing the wall for support.

Leo paced in his room for a minute, the anger still burning in his gut. He kicked his dresser and ripped off his hoodie, throwing it on the floor. Upon tearing off that article of clothing, a small ringing sound was heard and Leo stopped. He felt his hand reaching up without even thinking about it and softly touch the bell around his neck. His anger almost seemed to be put on hold as he sat down on his bed, hand still on the bell. Leo felt his mind go back to his sixteenth birthday and Aeris giving him the bell after she beat him for the hundredth time in Mario Kart.

"_Don't get all mushy on me. You're still a retard…but you're still my friend."_

Leo fell back onto his bed groaning loudly as a new feeling started to well up in his stomach. Guilt. He closed his eyes and exhaled loudly through his nose before muttering.

"I really am a retard."

* * *

_A/N: Taking a break from another story to do this one. Just felt like doing a VG Cats story and putting it out there. Probably not my best but practice makes perfect right? Chapter 2 up in a bit._


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Hey guys, chapter 2 for you. Also, I must apologize for the lack of question marks where they were suppose to be. That isn't the first time that's happened. They don't seem to make the transition from the Document Manager. I'll have to look into that. Thanks for all the reviews, they're great. I can only hope this lives up to the expectations as I have had a lot of trouble with this story for some reason. There's been lots of rewrites in this chapter and I feel this was the best one so I really hope everyone will be happy with it. Enjoy._

* * *

Leo couldn't sleep.

The emotional blow up that happen just a few hours ago was still fresh in his mind. He knew that he had every right to be angry with Aeris. What she did was uncalled for and unfair. Leo would be lying if he said he didn't feel a form of justification with his outburst. But despite all the facts, he just couldn't shake that feeling of guilt.

He was never an angry person, always making a joke or laughing it off if he ever felt the need to vent. Raising his voice only really occurred when frustrated with an RPG or when playing against button mashers in Mortal Kombat. A fight with Aeris was nothing new but it was the first time where he actually _wanted _to hurt her feelings.

It made him feel sick.

Leo curled up on his side and rubbed his eyes tiredly. Aeris was the most important person in the world to him and the last thing he ever wanted to do was hurt her. Even if she did deserve it.

Leo sat up and looked at the clock on his dresser that read two thirty in the morning. He scratched his head and swung his feet over the sides, staring at his lap.

He hated that he felt guilty about this and that he knew he was going to apologize for it when he knew he shouldn't. He hated it even more that he had pretty much thrown out an empty threat with his tirade. But it was just an inconvenient truth that that's just how things are going to be with them.

Maybe if he wasn't such a coward and told her how he felt about her than maybe things would be different.

Leo shook his head at the thought. It was ridiculous. If he told Aeris how he felt, she would either laugh in his face or put a fist in it. Her rejection would be more hurtful than any beating or insult she could throw out. She had also made it painfully clear that their friendship was solely based on some stupid deal.

The grey colored feline sighed hard and brushed his hair out of his eyes. Why did things have to be so complicated? Falling for his best friend who also happened to just put up with him for what? Paying bills? Someone who she could pound in gaming? It was a horrible relationship that could barely even qualify as a friendship and Leo should just walk away from it because it wasn't going to get better.

But he couldn't.

No matter how bad things got or how much of sham their friendship has turned out to be, Leo couldn't leave her. She had become…_everything_ to him. He thought about her every minute he was away and when she was near he felt as if time had slowed down just so he could enjoy her presence for as long as he could. Video games were Leo's addiction and he thought he would always be hooked. But sometimes you find something else that gives you a high greater than what you ever could have imagined. Aeris was his high and he didn't think he could kick it.

Even if it meant being nothing more than another warm body for her to abuse.

Accepting the cold hard truth of the situation, Leo stood up and hiked up his pajama bottoms before heading out of his room. He walked through the darkened hallways, his ears twitching at the sound of the rain slapping against the windows of the house. Leo came to Aeris' room and paused in front of her door. A sudden feeling of trepidation began to well up in his stomach as he envisioned what the female cat was doing behind that barrier. She was up, probably thinking of some sort of fitting punishment for him. Pinching the space between his eyes, he took a deep breath and softly knocked at the door.

He stood there for what seemed like hours, awaiting the door to be ripped open and a fiery wrath unleashed upon him. Only it didn't come. Leo shifted on the balls of his feet nervously. Over two minutes passed and there was still no response except the pattering of the rain outside. Curiously, he knocked a little louder and spoke this time.

"Aeris?" He called out, his voice just above a whisper.

He waited again, his muscles tensing as he was sure to receive the greeting he was expecting. Yet after another uneasy series of minutes, there was still no reply. Frowning, Leo opened Aeris' door, something he would never do without her permission and peeked inside. It was dark and even with his unique night vision, he could not make out much.

"Aeris?" He called again, louder this time. Leo was greeted by nothing but silence and he felt his fear now converge into that of worry. He reached over and pawed at the side of the wall, searching for the light switch. When he felt the switch brush his fingertips, Leo flicked it up and he had to shield his eyes from the blinding onslaught of light. Once his eyes had adjusted, he discovered why Aeris had not answered him.

She wasn't there.

Her bed was empty and undisturbed which meant that she hadn't slept in it at all tonight. Leo left her room and checked the bathroom to find that it too was empty. That feeling of worry started to rise and he hurried over to the staircase.

"Aeris? Are you down there?" He hollered. The house's empty silence was all that answered him. Leo trotted down the stairs and found both the living room and kitchen barren, neither a plate nor a controller touched for hours. Leo wandered back into the living room and began to pace anxiously.

This wasn't like her. Aeris was always so stringent when someone left the house. She always wanted a note left behind or a phone call whether it be him or herself. His eye caught a small red cellphone sitting on the coffee table which only confused him more. Aeris never left the house without it. Where could she have gone to in the middle of the night, in this weather no less? Leo racked his brain searching for answers but only came up with more questions.

Did she go for a walk? Was she at the all night gym? Did she go to the store for some feminine hygiene products? Was there a midnight release of a new game? Was she out there planning some horrific form of revenge against him? What if she was hurt?

That last thought made him stop in his tracks and he could feel a cold icy sensation grip his heart.

Panic striking his mind like a lightning bolt, he raced back upstairs and into his room. Throwing off his pajamas and hurriedly dressing himself, he bolted back down the stairs, nearly tripping over his own tail. He ripped open the front door and out onto the front lawn. The rain poured down on his head which was always something that annoyed him to no end but that was the furthest thing from his mind. Leo saw that the car was still where it was parked and he reached into his pockets, grabbing hold of the keys. He wasted no time in jumping into the front seat and firing up the engine. The car sped out of the driveway in reverse and he gunned it down the puddle filled streets.

Leo was gripping the wheel so hard that he could feel his knuckles ache and hears the pounding of his heart in his ears. He looked down and saw that he was going well over eighty in a residential area which probably wasn't the best idea in the middle of rain stricken night. Taking a deep breath, he eased off the accelerator and slowed down to more appropriate speed. Once he felt his heartbeat return to its regular rhythm, his mind began to assess the situation again.

"_Okay, okay. Where could she have gone? Work maybe to finish some projects? No. Aeris would never give up her weekend gaming hours to go into work, no matter how much she loved her job."_

Leo shook his head as he turned down a street, wipers whining as they cleared away water from the window. What was he going to do? He had no idea where to even start looking. He couldn't drive around all over Toronto. Leo stopped at a stop sign but did not move forward. The car sat there, idling in the rain.

"_Think you idiot. You didn't do much of that at Shaw's so start making up for it now. Come on Leo, try! Aeris was upset. What do you do when you're upset? Like when we had that fight in eleventh grade about that stupid JRPG. God, what a terrible game! I can't believe she liked it! Focus Leo, focus! What did you do to feel better? I was so mad at her stupid insults I practically stomped down to…"_

That's when it hit him.

It was a long shot but if Leo knew anything about Aeris, it was that she often partook in the same form of mind numbing activity to escape the pains of reality. And sometimes the games at home weren't enough. Leo turned right and drove down the streets for almost ten minutes before he came across an old outlet center. He pulled into the barren parking lot and shut off the engine. Stepping back out into the rain, he jogged across the lot and came to a long strip of stores. He passed by each one, all of them dark and deserted, closed for the night except for one. The damp furred feline saw the rays of light that shone out from the windows and stretched along the night covered lot for but a few feet. Leo picked up his pace until he was at the door, glancing at the words stenciled on the glass door he hadn't read in years.

Voltor's 24 Hour Arcade.

As he opened the door, Leo was instantly greeted by the same view he remembered when he was younger. The arcade had a tacky outer space theme with aliens, planets and spaceships covering the walls in colors so bright that they gave you a headache if you stared for too long. There was a corner to the side that held all sorts of vending machines that sported all the latest soft drinks and candy from the nineties. In the center of the arcade were the games themselves, dozens and dozens of them scattered around the place. Most of them were classics like Street Fighter, Tekken, Bubble Bobble, Tetris, Alien vs. Predator, Contra and just about anything else you remembered as a kid. There were a few new ones around but they looked a little out of place in such a retro atmosphere.

Leo spent a lot of time and a lot of quarters here and he smiled at the thought slightly. But it dissipated quickly when he remembered that reminiscing was not the reason he was here. He slowly walked through the arcade until he saw the front cashier. He was an older looking gentleman with long graying hair and a thin weathered face. He was reading a novel of which Leo could not see the front cover and adjusted his glasses as he turned the page. Leo approached him and asked,

"Excuse me but has anyone else been here tonight?"

The man didn't even look up from his novel but gave a small amused chuckle. "Son, there's only been one person here all night and she's still here. I think she's near the back playing one of those zombie games you kids are so obsessed with."

Leo turned his head around to see but found that there were too many machines in the way. He thanked the cashier, who still hadn't looked up from his book yet and made his way through the maze of games. Leo felt himself grow nervous again as he bobbed and weaved, approaching the back of the arcade. Tonight had been a very tolling one on him emotionally and he wasn't sure he could take a beating after all that. He paused in between two machines, Time Crisis and a Star Wars pinball table to gather his wits. He could hear the sounds of shooting and eerie music not too far away which meant he was close. Leo knew he could just go home and deal with the punishment then but maybe if he offered her some quarters or a ride home, things wouldn't be as harsh.

"_Yeah, cause that wasn't a stupid ass thought."_ He thought to himself tiredly. Sighing loudly and running a hand through his hair, Leo continued forth to just get things over with like he had planned when he left his room that night. He rounded a corner and that's when he saw her.

Her back was to him, her attention focused on shooting the walking dead that tried to attack her in House of the Dead. She fired rapidly at each enemy, all of them head shots then reloaded to the side only to go right back into her accurate style of execution. Leo was impressed. House of the Dead was a game he prided himself on beating and that was no easy task. Aeris, who was never a big fan of shooters, was actually doing a near flawless job.

It wasn't until a rather large and grotesque monster started to slash and hack at her did she start to get frustrated. Leo could hear her growling as she fired viciously at its face. It proved to be of little effect as the last attack from the creature killed her. With a cry of pure frustration and something else Leo could not identify, she threw the gun down, the plastic casing making an awkward clacking sound against the rail that holstered it. Aeris leaned against the machine breathing hard as the countdown to give her a chance to start again flashed on screen.

She clutched at her head and moaned softly in contempt.

"_Why couldn't life be as simple as throwing down a quarter and getting to start all over again? Avoid all the screw ups and shit storms."_ She wondered. But as the numbers counted down, she already knew the answer.

Life wouldn't be life if things were that simple. There was no restart button. Just consequences for every action. And her actions may have cost her best friend.

She stood up straighter and stared blankly at her reflection in the panel's smooth glossy surface, her face mixing in with the horrific images of the monsters from the game. It was a fitting picture for that's exactly what she felt like.

A monster.

An ugly, savage, unfeeling beast that hurt the one she cared for most. Aeris closed her eyes and looked away from the panel. Why did she have to be like that? Why couldn't she control her temper?

It wasn't the first time she had asked herself those questions. Aeris was stubborn, arrogant, pushy and occasionally rude. That's just the way she was and she accepted that. Others in her life however did not. She had a habit of pushing people away because of said traits. Men especially. They all couldn't handle her…attitude. Aeris snorted at the thought and bit her bottom lip. There was only one man in her life that accepted her for who she was and she pushed him away just like all the others.

She clenched her hands into fists and pounded them down on the panel, her mind focusing on the said individual. She often contemplated the results that would become if she ever told him about her feelings. It made her shudder.

Leo was no Einstein but she had learned as time went on that he was kind, understanding and generally took things with good humor. Despite those qualities, Aeris didn't think he could handle such a confession. They had never been anything more than friends. That's all she had ever known with him. Things would get just too weird and then…Leo would stop spending time with her...and everything would be gone…

But none of that mattered. None of that mattered because it was already gone. Gone because she couldn't stop being a bitch for one minute and screw up the best thing in her life. Aeris felt her eyes screw shut and she choked a silent sob. She was so caught up in her emotions, she didn't even notice the grey cat behind her.

Leo took a step forward, his stomach full of butterflies and softly called to her.

"Aeris?"

The pink feline froze at the sound of his voice but didn't turn around. Leo stepped closer, though still apprehensive and noticed that she was soaking wet. Her hair was stringy and damp and the long sleeved shirt that sported an image of Bowser in his 'I'm #1' pose was clinging to her slender body. She trembled slightly but Leo could not determine whether that was because she was cold or because she was enraged.

There was a moment of silence between them, the sounds of the arcade being the only noise. Leo cleared his throat and decided to speak first with what he knew he should start with.

"Aeris I'm so sorry about all those things I said. I…was angry and I shouldn't have yelled at you. I did a really dumb thing tonight and I…blew your promotion. I deserved all those things you said about me. If…you want to punch me, you can. I won't complain." He finished.

"No."

Leo stared at the back of her head for what felt like hours. No? What does she mean no? Shouldn't she be letting loose with her fists? Why wasn't she looking at him? Something wasn't right. Before he could even open his mouth to ask, Aeris answered him.

"You didn't deserve _any_ of those things I said about you. You had every right to be angry with me about what I said…about what I've done to you."

Aeris' voice cracked softly at the end of her statement, a faint sound but Leo's ears twitched at the sound of it. His mind twirling around in confusion, he approached her again, this time from the side so he could look at her. Aeris, as if reading his mind, turned away from him again, not wanting her best friend to see her like this.

"Aeris…" Leo said gently and gripped her shoulder. She tensed upon contact but slowly relaxed as Leo pulled her back to him. When she finally faced him, Leo couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Aeris was crying.

Leo had never seen her cry in his entire life. Not when she broke her arm in High School, not when she got stood up at the prom or when she got into a fight with another girl and lost at a concert. Leo felt his heart ache at the sight of the tears streaming down her wet face.

"Aeris…please don't…I didn't mean…"

"Yes you did." She sniffed. "You meant every word of it…and you're right."

"No Aeris, I-"

"I've been such a shitty friend to you Leo." She choked, her hand covering her face as if trying to hide from him. "All those year of abusing you and ripping on you…I never…God, I'm such a fucking idiot!"

She pounded her fist on the game's front panel again causing it to shake. Her trembling increased as she let out ragged breaths, her hands leaning against the panel. She sniffed back a few tears and looked at him again, pain filled blue orbs locking with concerned green ones.

"You've always been there for me. Even after all the shit I put you through. You kept coming back and being friends with me. Best friends and…and I treated it like a joke."

"Aeris, please…you don't have to explain." Leo interrupted although a part of him wanted her to continue.

"Yes I do." She sniffed. "You didn't deserve what I said to you tonight. I don't deserve a friend like you." Aeris paused again and closed her eyes as if she was in a great amount of physical torment.

"If you want to leave like you've obviously been thinking about…I won't stop you." Aeris whispered the last part so quietly, he almost didn't hear it. Leo was beside himself. This was completely un-Aeris and it scared him. But what she was saying scared him even more.

Raising his hand and pausing for a moment, he placed it back on her shoulder. The feeling of her fur sending chill up his spine as he spoke.

"Aeris…I don't want to leave." He told her, his voice soft and comforting. She wiped away some tears with her sleeve and scoffed a disheartening laugh. "Don't bullshit me Leo. I heard it in your voice."

"I'm not bullshitting you." Leo stated firmly and his grip on her shoulder tightened. She faced him again and he relaxed his grip as Aeris shook her head sadly.

"Why? You have no reason to after all I've done."

"Because you're my best friend." Leo answered. "But-" Aeris tried but was cut short by the feline in front of her.

"You are my best friend Aeris." He repeated, a little louder this time. "You've beaten me, cursed me, stabbed me and tried to abort me from existence. If I still hung around after all that, do you really think a little fight is going to make me leave?"

"But you said-"

"I know what I said. I wish I hadn't. I never wanted to…make you feel this way." He said with a small frown. In truth, Leo felt some of the words he spoke to be a bit empty. He knew that his tirade earlier tonight was well over due and if it had an effect on her like it obviously did then he couldn't help but feel in the right. But to see her so hurt and sad, being in the right, no matter how much vindication there was, was not worth it to him.

It wasn't worth causing the girl he cared for an unbearable amount of grief.

"I know that we haven't always had the greatest relationship in the past but…I'll do whatever it takes for us to forget the whole thing and go back to how it was. Maybe I can start by trying to smooth things over with Shaw and get you that promotion. It's the least I could do after screwing that up."

"No you didn't. I was dumb to think that just because of that incident that it would affect me. It was just…we're so close, you know? And thought maybe Shaw would associate me with the whole thing and…" Aeris paused then shook her head. "It doesn't matter. I should have known better than to just assume that. He's been good to us and I should have believed him when he said it wasn't a big deal."

Leo just nodded as Aeris wiped away some remaining tears and looked to him. She studied him for a moment before speaking again.

"Leo," She began, her voice soft and gentle, "I want you know that…how things have been with us lately…spending more time together and having a stronger friendship…it had nothing to do with the deal we made. I mean, it was sort of like that at first but after a while…I did all those things because I wanted to. Because I have so much fun with you. Because…"

Aeris paused and she could feel her face fluster as she looked away from him. She couldn't bring herself to say it no matter how much she wanted to. Only Leo would forgive her after such a screw up. Only her Leo. And her heart swelled at his forgiveness, fueling a desire to confess to him. But she couldn't. She wouldn't screw this up again.

Leo found himself edging a little closer to her, his curiosity compelling him to hear what she was going to say.

"Because what?" He asked. Aeris didn't face him. She rubbed her arm in awkward shyness. Another very un-Aeris action. She was always so forward and confident. To see her reduced to something like that of a shy school girl was like watching some bizzaro world clone of her. The pink cat eventually met his gaze again and shook her head with an exhausted laugh.

"It's not important." She lied. Leo could spot her falseness. Aeris was a smart girl but never a very good liar. He wrinkled his brow in curiosity, his mind desperately trying to make him push her into telling the truth but decided that now wasn't the time. Aeris dried her eyes and smiled at him, picking up the gun that fallen to the floor.

"Care for a round?" She asked, her sapphire eyes reflecting kindness and relief. Leo smiled at her and picked up the other gun. His answer was that of plopping in a quarter and the game starting up again.

For the next half hour, the two cats hunted zombies and laughed and teased each other side by side as if nothing had happened. Leo felt good. To hear Aeris tell him that the pact they had made so long ago had nothing to do with the time they were spending together and the sincerity in her voice filled him with something. Something he felt for the first time since he realized his feelings for her.

Hope.

If she could put up with him after all they had been through and really value and respect him like she did, then maybe it wasn't so farfetched to believe that something could happen between them. It didn't make the actual reality of trying to tell her any less difficult unfortunately. Why would she want anything to do with him romantically? He knew he wasn't the handsomest guy out there and Aeris had a few guys interested in her at work, all with higher positions than him. It didn't help that his IQ was a rather large elephant in the room either. What could he possibly offer her? He felt his gun droop a little as he fired a few bullets into an oncoming monster.

Perhaps his hope was nothing but a falsehood that belonged simply in the realm of fantasy.

But despite the rather disappointing realization, he couldn't help but stare at her from the corner of his eye. Even when she was soaking wet, she was beautiful. Her face was locked in a state of concentration but she wore a smile, the one where her right fang sometimes stuck out over her bottom lip. Leo felt himself lose total focus on the game, unaware that his character was taking heavy damage.

"You're dead."

Leo broke out of his trance and noticed that Aeris was giving him a strange look. He looked to the screen and saw the continue option counting down on his side of the screen. He mumbled a sheepish apology, his face burning red and reached into his pocket to discover he was out of quarters.

"Looks like I'm done." He said with a shrug of his shoulders. "Don't worry. I'll avenge you." Aeris replied with a smile. He smiled back and leaned against the panel to watch her carry on.

She was doing well on her own just like before he found her but this time Leo was giving her hints and tips.

"Make sure you don't miss any items. There's going to be a guy at the top of the stairs. Make sure you hit him in the head."

Aeris blasted her way through the level with relative ease until she came to the monster that had killed her before. Leo stood up straight and pointed to the screen.

"Don't waste bullets on his head. You have to hit him in the stomach where that gross organ thing is." He said. Aeris nodded and followed his advice. She fired at where Leo had told her but was having trouble as the creature would block the attacks with its many arms. Aeris started to become frustrated again and narrow her eyes menacingly at the game. Leo watched in minor amusement and tried to guide her though it.

"You have to shoot his arms to keep him from blocking. No, no the top ones first. Here…"

Leo moved in behind her and brought his arms up underneath hers, gently cupping her hands with his own. Aeris felt her breath get caught in her throat as she felt his warm body press against her back. Ever so softly, Leo guided her gun to places she had to shoot.

"Just like that." He said softly into her ear. His warm breath tickled her neck and she held back a moan of comfort. Subconsciously, she closed her eyes and leaned back into him though Leo didn't seem to notice. Leo moved her hands to the right positions to fire but finally noticed that she was taking a lot of damage. He also noticed it was because she wasn't firing.

"Aeris?" He asked, leaning his head to the side to look at her. Aeris turned her head slowly to look at him, their eyes locking like two tractor beams. The game continued on in the background with Aeris' character dying but neither of them could hear or see it still frozen in place. All they could see was each other. Their best friend for so many years that had stuck around through so many trials, including tonight. Leo blinked, realizing that they were staring at each other in a rather awkward position. He moved his lips to say her name again but the word never made it out of his mouth.

It never made it out of his mouth because Aeris was kissing him.

* * *

_A/N: Oh snap! Again, I hope this chapter was worth the wait and I'll have the final chapter up soon. Thanks a bunch guys, we'll see you in chapter 3!_


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Final chapter for you guys! I hope this is what you all wanted!_

* * *

The world seemed to have stopped turning.

Everything around him, the arcade, the games, the midi music and sound effects were suddenly silenced and faded into black. All he could see was them. All he could see was her and what was happening right now.

Leo's eyes bulged in surprise and his tail went stiff as a board, the fur bristling. He couldn't believe it. This had to be a dream. He must have blacked out or something and this was all some cruel hallucination, a mocking gesture from some higher power. But the smell of her hair and feel of her hands in his own told him otherwise.

Aeris was really kissing him, _him_, Leo Leonardo the Third.

Despite the disbelief and utter shock, Leo felt his eyes starting to close and was about to return the affection when she suddenly pulled away, shock and embarrassment written all over her face.

Aeris broke free from their position and they stood at an awkward distance from each other. She covered her mouth with one hand, the other wrapped tightly around her waist, her eyes shining with fear and humiliation. Leo could only stare at her. He tried to speak but nothing came out. He was still in shock. The ashen cat shook his head to try and shake the surprise loose and attempted to speak again, only this time he was cut off by a gruff and elderly voice.

"Goddamnit, not again! How many times do I have to tell you damn kids? This is an arcade! Not some shack where you two can screw each other's brains out! Get the hell out!" The cashier screamed who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

Both Aeris and Leo, faces flushed with embarrassment, shuffled awkwardly out of the arcade, the cashier slamming the door behind them. They stood out in the rain, staring out into the darkness, neither one speaking. They turned to look at each other and Aeris immediately looked away.

"Come on…let's go home." She mumbled and quickly started to walk back to their car she saw in the lot. Leo hesitated for a moment, the event replaying in his brain. She kissed him. Why did she kiss him? He snapped out of his haze and shuffled his way back to the car. Aeris was waiting impatiently to get in and he unlocked the doors. They both stepped in but neither said a word or looked at each other. Aeris stared down at her lap, hands wringing uncomfortably. Leo stared at the wheel for a good while before sticking the key into the ignition and driving out of the lot.

It was like this all the way back home.

Both felines did everything they could do to avoid looking or speaking to each other, Aeris more so than Leo. Leo felt his head spinning. A million questions were firing off in his brain to the point where his head was actually starting to hurt. Aeris could feel herself trembling again and it had little to do with being damp and soggy.

"_Stupid! Stupid! What the hell were you thinking? Everything was fine! It was going to go back to normal again but you had to go and screw it up! Oh my God, what am I going to do? He must be so freaked out!"_ She thought, her hands tightening into fists of dismay.

Complete silence hung in the air until they pulled into their drive way. Leo turned off the car and neither cat moved, the pitter patter of the rain crashing upon the windows. Leo tightened his grip on the steering wheel, a soft squeaking of protest from the leather cover as the event replayed over and over in his mind like a broken record. He turned to her, his eyes full of questions and confusion.

"Aeris…"

The woman in question however did not wait for him to continue as she practically bolted out of the car and up to the front door. She couldn't deal with this. Not now. Not ever. Leo hurried out of the car and jogged up to the door, already opened.

"Aeris!" He called after her as she ran up the stairs. He followed her and came up to the second floor in time to see her make an attempt for her bedroom door. Leo felt his ears pin back against his head. Why was she running away from him? What the hell is going on? _Why did she kiss him?_

Tired, wet, confused and frustrated, Leo marched up to her and grabbed her arm.

"Aeris!" He shouted right at her. Aeris let herself go limp and her head fell forwards, banging slightly on the door. She let out an exhausted and pain filled sigh.

"Aeris…talk to me." Leo said, his voice gentler and friendlier. "What's going on?"

"Not tonight, Leo…I can't…"

"Yes, you can." He urged. "Aeris, it's me. It's Leo. You can always talk to me. Just tell me…"

Aeris still did not meet his eyes, her face hotter than a thousand suns and wishing someone would burst into the room and shoot her in the head. Why? Why did she have to kiss him?

"I…just wanted to show you I was sorry…" She said, looking to the side. Leo snorted in response and said, "That was lame Aeris. We both know I'm no genius but it doesn't take one to see through a fib as bad as that."

Aeris pushed him away and headed back downstairs as if trying to escape his confronting gaze. Leo kept on her heels and still continued with his interrogation.

"Why can't you tell me Aeris?" He asked somewhat forcefully, shadowing her footsteps into the living room. "Just drop it Leo!" She screamed at him. Leo latched onto her wrist and pulled her right up to his chest, her face washing over in surprise by his forcefulness.

"I'm not dropping anything!" He shouted. "This night has been the weirdest of my life. I'm cold, I'm wet and I'm damn tired but I'm not going anywhere until you tell me."

Aeris remained silent which only furthered Leo's already limited patience. If he wasn't so engrossed with the seriousness of what was happening, he would have found the irony hilarious.

"What is it Aeris? Are you ashamed? Ashamed that you kissed a retard?"

"No goddamnit! I kissed you because I like you!"

Leo made a face at her statement. "Well duh! I like you too Aeris. That's why we're friends isn't it?" Aeris narrowed her eyes at him and shook her head in disbelief.

"God, Leo are you that dense? Think about what I just said!"

Leo wrinkled his brow as he processed what she just said. His eyes then bulged and he let go of her, his arms falling limply to his side as the answer finally came to him. Aeris stood in front of him, face in her hands. There was that uncomfortable silence again. No words being exchanged or muscles moved. Leo stared at the other cat for almost a minute before speaking.

"You…like me?"

Aeris didn't say anything but she raised her head, meeting his wide eyed stare. She could have just made something else up but Leo would have called her out on that as well. There was no escaping this. There was no turning back.

"Yes." She whispered.

"But…" Leo stuttered, his mind having trouble grasping the concept of what she just said. "Why me?"

Aeris didn't answer him as she was still trying to recover from the severe humiliation of the whole thing. Leo continued to stare at her, waiting for an answer. She finally shrugged her shoulders and mumbled,

"It doesn't matter..."

"It matters to me."

"Why? Why do you care so much?" She asked him, her voice tired and broken. Leo put his foot forward to step but hesitated. It was all so strange. He should be thrilled to hear that the woman he had harbored feelings for, for all this time actually returned them. But all Leo could do was wonder why? The very reality of it seemed like nothing more than some campy eighties movie ending. That wasn't how it worked. He had to know why. A girl like her doesn't go for a guy like him. Ever.

Leo took that step and spoke just above a dying whisper, "Because I'm an idiot."

Aeris' face softened and stared at him in question. Leo had pride and dignity just as much as anyone else but he knew what he was...even if it hurt to admit it.

"I'm an idiot Aeris. I make stupid decisions, I rarely think things through all the way, I'm constantly putting my foot in my mouth and I'm always frustrating the people who I care about most. Christ, I let a hobo trick me into buying a cardboard box full of rocks." He finished with a sad laugh at his own pathetic failures.

"It matters to me because..." He paused and could only give her a fatigued and weary look before finishing, "Because how could you ever like a waste of time like me?"

Aeris was silent as she let his words sink in, her mouth slightly agape. After a few seconds, her eyes narrowed and she barred her fangs. The pink feline grabbed Leo by the shirt and screamed at him,

"Don't you ever say that! Do you hear me?"

Leo cowered back from her gaze, afraid and very confused at her sudden change. Aeris didn't let him speak as she continued.

"You are not a waste of time! You are the only person on this whole damn planet that understands me! Who knows me! You're the only guy who has stayed in my life for longer than a year! There's only one idiot here Leo and it isn't you!" She yelled.

Leo could only watch as her face sadly softened again and she relaxed her grip on him but didn't let go.

"It isn't you…" She muttered.

"Aeris…"

"You do stupid things Leo. We both know that. But you do things right too. Like when I need someone to talk to, you're always there. If I need to vent about some asshole ex-boyfriend, you listen. When I drink too much you drive me home. I've never had anyone in my life care about me like you do…how could I not like someone like you? But…I…I can't lose that." She ended with a dying sob.

Leo felt his hands rise up and grasp her arms. "What do you mean lose? Areis…don't dance around this anymore…tell me."

He could feel her shake in his hands and her eyes shined with fresh tears. Her own hands clutched at his hoodie so tightly as if she was afraid he would blow away if she let go.

"I couldn't stand not having you in my life. Being away in Japan was torture enough. I can't lose you because I was stupid enough to ruin what we had with a stupid fucking crush…"

Leo thought long and hard about what Aeris was telling him and his whole body tensed when his brain finally clued in.

"You…you think I'll just leave you because I'd be freaked out by some crush you have on me?"

Aeris said nothing and bowed her head in shame and indignity, not wanting him to look at her. Leo stood in place, dumbfounded and dazed. How could she think that? After everything he just told her at the arcade, she thought he would just walk away?

"Aeris."

She felt her head rise at the sound of her name and her eyes looked up to him again. Something in his voice compelling her to face him. It was strong and firm with a reason behind it.

"That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard in my life." He said, a disapproving scowl on his face. Aeris' eyebrows softly rose in surprise at his words.

"You tell me how much I mean to you and how much it would hurt if you lost me but you don't even consider how I feel about you?"

"What do you mean?" She asked and feeling very stupid for it.

"You never asked yourself that maybe there was a reason I never left in the first place? You never wondered why I always kept coming back?"

"You…you said it was because we were friends…"

"We are. But it went beyond friendship Aeris." Leo told her, his face now molding back into his usual calm and friendly features. "You are my best friend but you're so much more. You are the most amazing woman I've ever known and I can't stand the thought of you not being in my life too. You never have to worry about losing me Aeris…because you already have me."

Aeris felt her whole body grow warm. His statement rolled around in her head like some wonderful drug, sending joyous surprise into her nerves. He let his eyes wander down her slender frame, Aeris suddenly feeling very small and they came back up to her own. He reached out with one hand and gently placed it around her waist, pulling on it slightly. Aeris felt herself move forward, pressing against his chest, eyes never leaving his.

While Leo looked as cool as a cucumber doing this, inside he was terrified. He knew he could be an idiot but this might take the cake. But there was too much riding on this to run away from. He reached up with his other hand and cupped her cheek, running a thumb over her lips ever so softly. Aeris sucked in a breath at the contact, her chest pressing harder against his own. Leo paused for a moment, his brain focusing on perhaps the most important thought he has ever had.

"_You've screwed up so many times before. Don't do it now. Not now." _

He slowly leaned in and pressed his lips against her own like he had seen been done thousands of times in the movies. He hadn't kissed a lot of girls in his life and that only added to his nerves. He soon found that it was a trivial thing as Aeris wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. He pulled her in closer and relished in the taste of her lips, like that of cherries. Aeris moaned softly as they moved their mouths together, a small wet pop made every time they parted only to come back together again.

Leo held her tighter and Aeris gripped a handful of fur on the back of his neck, the kissing becoming more passionate and heated. Tension and frustration that had been building up inside the both of them for so long was being unleashed and it was starting to maybe get a little heavy too fast.

Aeris mustered all the will power she could and pushed him away. They both stood there panting slightly for air, Aeris leaning her head against his chest. No words were spoken, the only sound being the rain outside.

"I think we should…take this slow." Aeris finally said. Leo only nodded. He wasn't expecting it to get that heated. Not that he was complaining.

Aeris stepped away from him, out of his arms and stood just slightly away from him. Her mind was still reeling from what he had just told her not to mention what he just did. Leo rubbed his arm in a nervous twitch. Maybe he shouldn't have done that.

Aeris saw his discomfort and as if reading his mind, she smiled at him.

"So…you like me too, huh?" She asked somewhat playfully. Leo smiled, breaking away from his uneasiness and replied, "Yeah…wasn't sure if I made that obvious enough."

Aeris laughed softly and she made her way back over to him, her arms gently resting on his chest. She leaned forward and kissed him softly, Leo wrapping his arms around her and giving a soft squeeze. They broke away and Leo stared into her eyes.

"Aeris?"

"Yeah?"

"If this is some sort of crazy dream…please don't wake me up."

"Only if you promise not to wake me up." She answered and gave him a quick peck on the lips. Leo smiled and leaned his head against hers. She felt herself starting to purr as that warmth returned. All her fears, all her misconceptions and doubts were swept away by his lips, all replaced with nothing but comfort, joy and eagerness to the events of the future. She smiled and gently poked at the bell that hung around his neck, the jingle it made being music to her ears.

"Aeris?" His voice broke her away from her thoughts as she looked up to him again.

"I want you to know that…I'm going to try real hard to be what you want." Leo told her with a nervous confidence. "I'm going to stop goofing around and try to be more sophisticated and-"

Leo didn't get to finish a she silenced him with her finger.

"Leo, if you ever change, then this will be over before it even begins." She told him. "I want you to stay exactly the way you are, goof and doofus all the way…because that_ is_ what I want."

Leo laughed and pulled her tight against him, relishing her warmth. She pushed him away and yawned.

"I think we deserve some rest. We can talk more about this in the morning." Aeris told him and made her way to the stairs. Leo felt disappointed in the absence of her body no longer against his but he nodded and made his up the stairs too. They both went to their rooms and Aeris smiled at him as she went into her own. Leo stood in the hall for a moment, staring at her door before going into his own room.

He shed his clothes and put his pajama's back on and crawled into his bed, the soft warm sheets a welcoming comfort for his weary body. Leo stared up at the darkened ceiling still wondering if he was dreaming. He felt himself smile and softly touched his lips, Aeris' taste still lingering on them.

His left ear suddenly swiveled at the sound of a door being shut and soft padding footsteps. He rose up on his elbows when he heard his own door open. He peered into the darkness and saw Aeris in her own pajamas walking towards him.

"Aeris? What's wrong?" He asked. She smiled at him and crawled underneath his covers, laying her warm body on top of his own.

"Whoa…I thought we were going to take this slow." He stammered nervously. Aeris laughed and gave his forehead a soft smack. "Easy perv. I'm freezing and want you to keep me warm tonight. You think you can handle that?"

Leo smiled as she nestled herself comfortably on top of him, head just resting under his chin. "I think I can do that." He mumbled, wrapping his arms around her. Aeris let out a sigh of content and let her eyes close, Leo's calming scent filling her nostrils and lulling her to sleep.

"Hey Aeris." She heard him say in the dark.

"Mmm."

"Guess what?"

"Mmm?"

"You made out with a guy who used to drink pee in his coffee."

"…You really know how to ruin a fucking moment don't you?"

FIN

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_A/N: Well, there you have it. My most sincere thanks to everyone's kind reviews and encouragement. I hope that this story lived up to what people expected from it. It's been a blast. Until next time! Cya!_


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